For the Love of Harper
by reneeharris49
Summary: After Closetgate, Olivia finds out she is pregnant. What will she do? Does she tell Fitz or run away?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Angry Sex (Closetgate)

Olivia's phone alarm chimes at 8:00am on Saturday morning. Rolling over she picks up the phone and shuts off the alarm. Today is Ella's christening. Today is the day she has been dreading for weeks. Today is the day she will see him for the first time in 10 long months.

Since his caustic words at Verna's funeral, they have had no contact. She even avoids the news, not even wanting to hear his name mentioned. He had hurt her to the core with one word . . . _mistress_. He had always claimed that she was more than that, but when it came down to it, he truly saw her as nothing more than that. That thought alone was enough to make her fall into a deep depression. She had believed him and it had all been a lie.

Olivia had immersed herself in work and then at the end of each day she went to the pool and swam until her arms and legs felt like rubber. Only after she had mentally and physically exhausted herself, could she finally hope to get 5 hours of sleep a night.

With a heavy sigh, Olivia got out of bed and began to get ready for Ella's christening.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Fitz mingles with the guests inside the church. His head is pounding and he longs for another scotch. He is not looking forward to seeing her today. She has broken his heart. She lied to him. She didn't believe in him. She was no better than the others. She was maybe worse than the others, because she claimed to love him and want what was best for him. At the end of the day, she had deceived him along with the rest of the unholy clan. He hates her. What he wouldn't give for another scotch to ease his nerves. He isn't sure what he will do when she walks through those doors.

Five minutes later, he feels her enter the church. His heart leaps in his chest and for the briefest of moments he wants nothing more than to run to her and kiss her and tell her all is forgiven. Then the coldness returns to his harden heart and all he can do was glare at her.

Damn her, she seems more beautiful than ever. She had straighten her hair and it frames her face perfectly. She looks leaner. He could tell she was swimming again. It makes her sexy curves even sexier. He feels his pants tighten as he takes in the sight of her toned legs. He sees her steps falter briefly as their eyes meet. But she quickly regains her composure and directs her attention to one of the guests to her left. This takes her out of his direct line of sight. Damn, he needs a drink.

As they hold Ella over the baptismal font, their fingers brush against each other slightly. He cannot hear what the priest is saying, all he can hear is the sound of her breathing. He stares at her with such wanton lust that she feels exposed. She can only stare back at him, trying not to convey with her eyes the lust she also feels for him. She hates to admit that she still wants him, longs for him actually. But she has to let those feelings go.

After the ceremony, Cyrus approaches her, "Hey, thanks for coming. I know it wasn't easy for you."

"I wouldn't miss this for the world. I know it was important to you and James. I think I will skip the reception though. I don't think Fitz would even let me through the front gates." Olivia said.

"You have to come, James will be devastated if you aren't there. I already cleared it with Fitz, he said he was fine with it if you came."

"Cy, I don't know. It was hard enough him glaring at me during the ceremony, I don't think I can take much more," she said with a sigh.

"Please Liv, for me," Cyrus practically begged.

She sighed, "Okay Cy, just for a little while."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Olivia was sipping a glass of red wine, trying to avoid Fitz at all cost. She makes sure to keep him in her line of sight, moving in the opposite direction from him. He continues to stare at her all during the reception. The tension was becoming unbearable. Briefly they make eye contact, the anger that emanated from him was intense. She waits until James has finished his speech and everyone goes to congratulate the happy family to make her exit.

He watches her slip behind the other guests and make her way out of the room. She was leaving! His whole body vibrates with his need for her. He gulps the last of the scotch in his glass and goes after her. He isn't sure what he is going to do when he catches up to her, he just knows she can't leave. Not yet.

Olivia hears his footsteps behind her. She quickens her pace. She can't take a confrontation with him. She is not ready for that. She hears his pace quicken. Her heart is beating overtime.

He catches up to her in four long strides. He grabs her elbow and practically throws her into the closest room, which happens to be the communications closet. Without a word, he lunges at her and crushes his lips to hers.

Stunned by his actions, Olivia is momentarily caught off guard. He is kissing her! Her heart flutters, how she has missed him. She soon realizes that his kiss is not one filled with love and forgiveness. He is drunk and looking to ease his lusty desires on her. She pushes him away, seething. Before she knows it, she slaps him. He stumbles back slightly, staring at her; watching the wave of emotions running across her face: anger, disgust, longing and finally surrender.

Olivia surrenders to her desires and launches herself at Fitz, kissing him with all of the pent up desire from the last ten months. Suddenly, his hands are everywhere. He needs to touch her skin, but her dress won't allow him access. He pushes off her jacket and flips her around to unzip her dress. At the same time she reaches behind her back to undo his belt and unbutton and unzip his pants.

All either of them can think of is making a physical connection. He reaches under her dress to yank down her panties. She pushes her ass into his crotch, desperately wanting to feel him inside of her. He quickly obliges her need, thrusting his hard cock into her in one swift motion. God she felt good!

Their coupling is frantic and furious. He bites her ear and she digs her nails into his ass, trying to push him inside of her even deeper. There are moans and groans, but no sweet whispers of love. This is about quenching their desire, not about love.

Taking her from behind was good, but Olivia wants to feel his arms around her. She pulls away from him and turns around in his arms. Putting one leg up on his waist, she quickly guides him into her once more. Pushing her against the wall, Fitz pounds into Olivia like there was no tomorrow. All of the anger he feels for her is contained in each hard thrust. She holds onto Fitz for dear life, savoring each thrust. Their pants and groans increase as they both begin to climax.

They stay coupled for a few moments after they reach their release. Olivia's forehead is pressed against his shoulder. She allows herself a brief smile. This will be the beginning of healing the wounds they have caused one another. Maybe the beginning of a fresh start for them. He pulls away from her and she looks at him. He will not meet her gaze. He reaches down and pulls up his boxers and pants, turning his back to her as he zips up and buckles his belt. Her heart breaks into a million pieces all over again. She zips up her dress, gathers her purse, jacket and torn panties from the floor. He still won't look at her.

Sensing that Olivia has pulled herself together, Fitz opens the door and allows her to exit. He refuses to look at her. He plans to walk away without a single word or glance until he hears her speak.

"I made a mistake," she says softly.

He stops and turns his head slightly, "We both did. Don't worry it won't happen again."

"I was talking about Defiance," she says tearfully.

erHiHis anger is at an all-time high. He shoves his fists into his pockets, fearful that he may actually strike her if they are not contained. He steps towards her, his pain and anger visible on his face.

"That was not a mistake that was betrayal. We are done. Just because I cannot control my erections around you does not mean that I want you. We. Are. Done." He secretly rejoices when he sees her flinch at his words, the tears filling her eyes. He wants her to feel the same heart wrenching pain that he does. He turns and walks away, never looking back at her.

Olivia watches him walk away. She takes a deep breath to steady herself and begins to make her way out of the White House, vowing never to step foot in it again.

**Six weeks later . . . . **

"Damn," Olivia yells and throws the little white stick across the room. She begins pacing in circles. Pregnant. Pregnant with the child of the married leader of the free world who happens to despise her. She didn't know of any worse circumstance to bring a new life into the world.

She has to make a plan. How is she going to handle this? She walks to the living room to retrieve her note pad and pen from the table. She sits on the couch and begins to make a list of options.

Close OPA and move as far away from DC. Never to return. Keep and raise baby on own. Don't tell Fitz.

Hand OPA over to the team (temporarily) and leave until the baby is born. Giving it up for adoption. Don't tell Fitz. (Could I live with the guilt of giving my child away?)

Stay at OPA, have and keep baby. Lie about who father is (say in vitro). Don't tell Fitz.

Reviewing her list, she realizes there is only one other option. It's really her only choice. She writes it on the pad:

Tell Fitz.

She throws the pad and pen on the table and lays back on the couch and begins to cry. He hates her and now she is having his baby. Is this really her life? She cries herself to sleep. She dreams of blue eyed, curly haired babies.

Although she had a restless night's sleep, her mind is a little more settled the next morning. She knows that she can't put off telling Fitz. If she doesn't tell him soon, option #1 on her list will be her destiny. She gets off the couch and heads down the hall to the bathroom. She showers and brushes her teeth. Since it is Saturday, she pulls on a pair of jeans and t-shirt. She pads to the kitchen in her bare feet, seeking a cup of tea and a bagel.

She selects Fitz's number in her cell phone several times while she is eating breakfast, but doesn't press the call button. She can't predict his reaction and that worries her. Will he care that she is carrying his child? Will he accuse her of entrapment? Because he hates her so much, will he demand that she abort it? She picks up her cell phone from the table and scrolls through it to get to his office number. Even though it is Saturday morning, she knows that he will be in the Oval office. She finally presses the call button.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Fitz is sitting at his desk reviewing the latest briefings from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It is only 9:30am and he is already on his second scotch of the day. He is slightly surprised when the personal line in his office rings. Instinctively, he knows it is her. He almost doesn't answer the phone, but his curiosity gets the better of him

"Yes," he says coolly.

"Hi," she says tentatively.

"What do you want?"

She hesitates for a moment, not answering him.

"What do you want Ms. Pope? Either answer me or I am hanging up."

"I need to see you. Can you get away and come by my apartment?"

"Why in the hell would I want to do that?" he says angrily.

"Please Fitz," she begs, "it's important."

"There is nothing I want to hear from you Olivia. Goodbye."

"Fitz, please wait, don't hang up. I really need to talk to you."

"Then say what you need to say!"

"Fitz, please I can't do this over the phone."

"OLIVIA, STOP WASTING MY TIME! EITHER SAY WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY OR GET OFF MY PHONE!"

She took a deep breath, "I'm pregnant."

The only response she receives is the sound of Fitz hanging up the phone.

A/N: So this is my second FF story. This idea has been running around in my mind for a while now. Thanks to Lovescandal1 for the suggesting that Olivia not run and hide with Fitz's child, as is the latest trend on the FF site, but to let Fitz find out and decide if he wants to be a part of the child's life or not.

As always, I would love to know your comments/feedback.

For those of you reading The Summer She Grew Up, I am still working on it, just hang in there.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Sweet Dreams

_Fitz is sitting at his desk reviewing the latest briefings from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It is only 9:30am and he is already on his second scotch of the day. He is slightly surprised when the personal line in his office rings. Instinctively, he knows it is her. He almost doesn't answer the phone, but his curiosity gets the better of him_

"_Yes," he says coolly._

"_Hi," she says tentatively._

"_What do you want?"_

_She hesitates for a moment, not answering him._

"_What do you want Ms. Pope? Either answer me or I am hanging up."_

"_I need to see you. Can you get away and come by my apartment?"_

"_Why in the hell would I want to do that?" he says angrily._

"_Please Fitz," she begs, "it's important."_

"_There is nothing I want to hear from you Olivia. Goodbye."_

"_Fitz, please wait, don't hang up. I really need to talk to you."_

"_Then say what you need to say!"_

"_Fitz, please I can't do this over the phone."_

"_OLIVIA, STOP WASTING MY TIME! EITHER SAY WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY OR GET OFF MY PHONE!"_

_She took a deep breath, "I'm pregnant."_

_The only response she receives is the sound of Fitz hanging up the phone._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Fitz is sitting at his desk with his hand still on the phone. His head is spinning. Did Olivia really just tell him she is pregnant? He releases the phone and pushes back from his desk. Picking up the glass on his desk, he walks over to the side table and pours a hefty amount of scotch. He drinks deeply from the glass.

He paces around the room trying to process what she said. There was a time when he would have been elated with this news. His Livvie pregnant with their child. But now, with everything that has happened between them, he feels nothing but anger. The anger overwhelms him and he throws the glass of scotch across the room. The secret service agent outside the door enters when he hears the glass shatter.

"Sir, are you okay?" he asks.

"No, Brian, I am not. I need to get out of here. Please have my car brought around."

"Yes sir. May I tell the detail where we are headed?"

"Olivia Pope's apartment."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Olivia sits staring at her phone. She cannot believe Fitz hung up on her. She had not expected him to be overjoyed and instantly filled with forgiveness, but she had expected to have some sort of conversation about their situation. The fact that he had ended their call without a word left her feeling utterly alone.

She instinctively heads to the kitchen and pours herself a large glass of red wine. She raises the glass to her lips and then quickly remembers that wine is no longer a part of her diet. She stands there staring into the wineglass, lost in her thoughts. A knock at the door brings her back to the present. She sets the glass aside and goes to answer the door.

She is not surprised to see Fitz on the other side of the door. Silently she steps aside to allow him to enter the apartment. She closes the door but does not move any further into the room. She stands with her back to the door, watching Fitz as he paces the room. He finally stops pacing and turns to her.

"So am I the first to know your happy news?" he asks with a touch of sarcasm in his voice.

"You are the first one I called as soon as I found out," she says evenly.

"Shouldn't you have called the father first? I mean, it's only right that he knows before anyone else."

She is stunned and hurt by his words. "I think you should leave now."

"What's your game Olivia?"

"What are you talking about? There is no game."

"Did you think this news would have me running back to your arms? Ready to forgive all of your sins."

"I'm not Mellie, I don't play games. The last thing I would do is purposely bring an innocent life into this mess to try and trap you in a relationship with me."

"How do I even know it's mine?"

Olivia's blood is boiling. She stalks across the room and stands toe to toe with Fitz.

"Did you really just ask me that? Go to hell! Listen you son of a bitch, I don't expect anything from you. I thought it was only right that you know about the baby. If you don't want to have any part of its life, that's fine by me. Now get out."

She stands aside, her chest heaving with anger. Fitz glares down at her briefly and then walks past her towards the door. He hesitates before he opens the door, turning to face her once more. The anger and hurt he sees on her face breaks his heart, but he can't stop himself from dishing out one final jab.

"Good luck with the new baby. I'm sure you and the father will be very happy."

"GET OUT!"

He turns, opens the door and walks out, slamming the door shut behind him. He stands outside the door for a moment, trying to collect himself. He feels guilty about his behavior with Olivia, but he couldn't help it. She shattered his world. Suddenly, he feels dizzy and nauseous. He bends over taking deep breaths. He can hear Olivia on the other side of the door. She is sobbing uncontrollably. His heart breaks at the sound of her cries. He wants to go to her, but he can't. Tears begin to fall from his eyes. What has he done?

Brian steps forward, "Sir, what can I do?"

"Just take me home." Fitz whispers.

Brian helps him up and leads him to the elevators.

Olivia falls into the chair and begins to cry. How could he be so cruel? Did he really hate her so much that he would deny their child? Suddenly, she feels sick. She rushes down the hall to the bathroom and throws up in the toilet. She stays curled up over the bowl for several minutes dry heaving, the tears still falling. Finally she gets up, washes her hands and face and brushes her teeth, all while avoiding looking at her reflection in the mirror. She takes off her clothes and crawls into bed. For the second time in less than 24 hours, Olivia cries herself to sleep.

In the back of the limo, Fitz stares blankly out of the window. He replays the fight with Olivia in his mind. He was so cruel to her. In his heart of hearts he knows that the baby is his. He also knows that he wants to be a part of the baby's life. If he were truly honest with himself, he wants to be a part of Olivia's life. He needs to move pass Defiance. He needs to find a way to forgive her. If not for his sake, for the sake of their unborn child.

He pushes the intercom button, "Brian, please turn around and return to Ms. Pope's residence."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He stands at her bedside, watching her sleep. Even in sleep he can see the stress and pain he has caused her written on her face. When he strokes her cheek softly she doesn't stir. Quietly he takes his clothes off, laying them on the chair next to the bed. He lifts the covers and gets into bed with her. He kisses her softly on the lips once. She moans quietly and moves closer to him. He puts his arm around her and pulls her even closer. He knows she is awake when he feels her body tense up in his arms.

"Livvie, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me," his voice cracks. "I was hurt and angry and I didn't know how to handle it. I love you and I love our baby. Please forgive me."

She pushes away from him slightly to look in his eyes. His normally sparkling blue eyes are a dull gray, bloodshot and filled with tears. She reaches up and wipes his tears away.

"I want to forgive you Fitz, but the things you said to me were too much," she moves to get out of bed.

He reaches out and pulls her back to him. "Please don't go. I know we have a lot to sort out, but I just want to be here with you right now. "

She looks at him and her body moves involuntarily towards him. She strokes his cheek and leans in kissing him gently on the lips. Fitz sighs at her touch.

"You hurt me," she says with tears in her eyes.

"I am so sorry Livvie. If it takes me the rest of my life, I will make it up to you." Tears flow from his eyes. All of the anger and hurt are slowly leaving his body. He is beginning to heal and soon he will be whole again.

Olivia lays down next to him again with her head on his chest. He wraps his arms around her and pulls her close. It is the most relaxed and peaceful either of them have felt in months.

"Livvie, please look at me," Fitz says after they had been laying there in quietness for a few moments.

When she lifts her head to look up at him, he leans down and kisses her. At first the kiss is tentative, each wondering how far the other is willing to go. The longer their lips are joined, the deeper the kiss becomes. Fitz runs his hands up and down Olivia's torso. Relishing in the softness of her skin. He has missed her so much that just feeling her skin against his hands is enough to make him cry.

Olivia's hands find the nape of his neck and she begins to run her fingers through the curls on the back of his head. She has missed him so much. Just the feel of his hair through her fingers is enough to make her cry.

They break apart, gasping for air. Fear is holding them both back from admitting to each other what they want at this moment.

"I have never stopped loving you Fitz." Olivia says, breaking the silence and the tension of the moment.

Those words are music to his ears. Kissing her deeply again, he positions himself so that he is on top of her. He moves down her body. Kissing her neck, collarbone and the tops of each breast. He sucks one nipple gently, while massaging the other breast. Olivia arches her back in an effort to get him to suck and touch her even more. Fitz lays kisses down her stomach. When he reaches her "womb" he stops and places several light kisses there.

"Hello little one. I want you to know that I love you very much. I will always be here for you, no matter what happens."

Olivia's heart swells with love for Fitz at that moment. She realizes that they will be okay. It will take time, but they will rebound from this hellish year and make their relationship work. They will be a family one day.

Fitz resumes his way down Olivia's body, finally reaching his favorite spot. As he nudges her knees apart, she stops him, "Wait, don't do that," she says.

Fitz looks up at her, sadness and fear in his eyes. Had she changed her mind? Did she not want him anymore?

"I need you to make love to me Fitz. Slowly and tenderly. I need to feel you inside of me. Please," she says quietly.

Fitz was relieved by her request. He moves back up her body and she opens her legs wider to accommodate him. He grasps his hardened cock and guides it into her slowly until he completely fills her up. They moan in unison. She runs her hands up and down his back before finally settling on his ass. She grips his ass, urging him to go deeper. He lifts her left leg and puts it over his shoulder. This angle allows him deeper penetration and he begins to move faster and harder.

"Oh Fitz . . . that feels so good. Please don't stop," she says breathlessly. She is meeting him stroke for stroke.

Her request spurs him on more. He doubles his efforts and his reward is the feeling of her walls tightening around his cock.

"I've missed you so much Livvie. I never want to be without you again."

"Umm Fitz, please make me cum. I need to cum for you."

He continues to move in and out of her. Enjoying the feel of being in her once again. He knows their release is near. She pants out his name several times and suddenly her back arches and she is crying out his name. Her walls close around his cock and draws him deeper into her. The sensation of her vibrating walls causes his release moments later. He withdraws from her and rolls over on his side.

"I love you Livvie," he says smiling at her.

"I love you to Fitz, always."

Suddenly her cellphone starts to ring. Olivia looks for her phone on the night stand but it is not there. She must have left it in the living room. She gets out of bed and follows the sound of the ringing phone, but she can't locate it anywhere. She flips over cushions still no phone. She looks under the couch, still no phone. She is confused. She can still hear it ringing, but she can't find it anywhere.

"Fitz, is my phone in there? I can't find it out here," she calls out to him.

He doesn't answer.

"Fitz?" she calls as she heads back to the bedroom. Fitz is no longer in the bed. His clothes that were on the chair are gone.

She looks in the bathroom, no Fitz. She looks in the guest bathroom and guest bedroom, no Fitz. Frightened she calls out his name.

"Fitz, where are you? Don't leave me again! Please don't leave me again," she cries.

Her heart is beating rapidly. She is confused. Where did he go? Why can't she find her phone? What is going on?

Suddenly, Olivia sits up in bed with a start. Her cellphone is ringing. It is right on the nightstand where she left it. She looks at the other side of her bed, it is undisturbed. It was all a dream. Fitz was never here. He hadn't come back to apologize and they didn't make love. It was all a sweet dream.

She picks up the phone and hits the ignore button. Once again she begins to cry. She decides at that moment that she needs a break. She gets out of bed and gets dressed. She quickly packs her suitcase. She has to get away. Go somewhere and get her head together. She will call her team in the morning and let them know she will be out of pocket for a while. She trusts them to run the business flawlessly in her absence.

Just as she closes the front door, her forgotten cellphone, still on the nightstand, begins to ring.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Fitz lets himself into Olivia's apartment after she didn't answer his 5 minutes of knocking. The place is quiet. He makes his way back to the bedroom and finds her sleeping. He stands at her bedside, watching her sleep. Even in sleep he can see the stress and pain he has caused her on her face. She can see the trail of tears she cried before falling asleep. When he strokes her cheek softly she doesn't stir. He leans over and kisses her gently on the lips.

He thinks about undressing and getting into bed with her, but he isn't sure what her reaction will be. He settles for watching her sleep. Suddenly her cellphone begins to ring. She stirs slightly in her sleep. He doesn't want her to find him standing over her.

"Until tomorrow my Livvie. Sweet dreams," he says quietly and exits the room.

He makes his way down the hall and out the front door, closing it softly behind him. He plans to call her tomorrow to make arrangements to speak face to face. They will work this out. They will be a family.

A/N: Well tell me what you think! I live and love your comments. I know some of you will be mad at me for keeping Angry Fitz around. Just remember the old saying, "It is always darkest before the dawn." My heart was pounding so hard as I wrote this chapter. I could feel the anguish and hurt both Liv and Fitz are going through.

As always, I would love to know your comments/feedback.

For those of you reading The Summer She Grew Up, I am still working on it, just hang in there an update is coming soon. For the Love of Harper has been at the forefront of my mind, but don't fear, I haven't given up on Summer.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Start of Something New

Olivia sits behind the wheel of her car, still in the parking garage of her apartment building. Leaving seemed like the best idea, at the time, but now that she is in the car, she can't decide where to go. This bout of indecisiveness is new and disturbing to her. She is used to being in control and quick to assess a situation and make the right decision.

She sighs, takes the key out of the ignition and exits the car. She can't run and hide. She has to face this head on, no matter what the consequences. She grabs her suitcase from the back seat and heads back into the building.

Once in her apartment, she retrieves her ringing cellphone for the nightstand.

"What," she answers.

"Liv, where have you been? I've been calling all afternoon," Harrison asks.

"What do you need Harrison?"

"My Liv-dar has been going off all day. I just needed to check on you."

"Liv-dar? What the hell is that?"

"It's my own personal radar for you. I know when something is going on with you. What's up?"

"So your Spidey-sense said something was wrong with me? You are quite a character. I am fine Harrison. But I am glad you called. Tell the team that I will be out of pocket for a few days. I have some personal matters to attend to. Call only in case of emergency. Ok?"

"Ok Liv. Call us if you need us."

She hangs up without saying goodbye.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Fitz returned to the White House and was making his way to the Oval Office. Cyrus stopped him in the hallway.

"Mr. President, I hope you had a productive morning," he said sarcastically.

"It was fine Cyrus. What do you want?" Fitz said tiredly.

"What I want is to find the President where he is _supposed_ to be on a Saturday morning. Like the Oval Office, or the tennis courts or even the goddamn Rose Garden. Not running off bright and early to meet up with his . . . . ," he says through clenched teeth.

"Don't start Cy," Fitz warns. He quickens his pace to put some distance between them.

Cyrus quickens his pace right along with him. "Too late. What were you thinking? What you needed a quickie this morning?"

"Cy, please stop. I have a lot on my mind this morning and I don't have time to listen to one of your tirades."

He reaches out and grabs Fitz's elbow to stop him, "You will listen Mr. President. I thought this whole thing with Olivia was over. Why now after all this time would you go and see her? You are putting _our _Presidency at risk, sir and for what, a little roll in the hay. Get over her Fitz!"

He snatches his elbow out of his grasp and glares at him.

"Understand something Cyrus, this is MY Presidency, not yours. If I ruin it, so be it. That's my choice. As for Olivia, there is no getting over her. I thought you understood by now, she is the love of my life. I will move heaven and earth to be with her, if she will have me." Fitz says as he pushes passed Cyrus to enter the Oval Office.

He walks over to the side table and pours a glass of scotch.

"Sir, don't you think it is a little early for that?" Cy questions.

"Cyrus, ENOUGH! Please let this go. Go home, spend time with James and Ella. What are you doing here on a Saturday anyway? We didn't have anything scheduled today."

"Mellie called me when she couldn't find you this morning."

"Great," Fitz sighs "I'm sure she will be down here any moment to join the yell at Fitz party," he says

"We only want what's best for you sir. Nothing more."

"If that is the truth Cy, you would know that the best thing for me is Olivia. I can't exist without her. I can't sleep without her. My life is nothing without her."

"Sir, why now? You haven't mentioned her for months. I thought you had finally moved on."

"Cy . . . "

"No Fitz! If you are going to throw away your presidency, I deserve to know why. Why now? It's been almost a year since you have even mentioned her name."

"She's pregnant. Olivia is pregnant with my child."

Cyrus' eyes grow wide with shock. "Oh my God. How? When?" He begins to pace around the room.

Cyrus stops pacing and looks at Fitz, "No offense sir, but are you sure the baby is yours? You have been apart for several months."

"Yes Cy. She has no reason to lie to me about the paternity of the child. I am the father." He feels sick to his stomach as he recalls posing the same question to Olivia.

"What do you need me to do sir?"

"Nothing Cy. Leave this alone. I will handle things in my own time."

"Unfortunately sir, time is not on your side. We need to make a plan."

"I will let you know if I need anything. Now please excuse me. I work to do," Fitz said effectively dismissing Cyrus.

No sooner had the door to the Oval Office closed behind Cyrus, he dialed Olivia's number. He needed to know what plans she was making.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Olivia wasn't surprised to see Cyrus' name on her caller id.

"What," she answered.

"I need to see you. Are you at home?"

"Yes Cy. I'll be here. See you soon." She disconnected the call.

She could tell from the tone of his voice that Cyrus knew about the pregnancy. She had to mentally prepare for the fight he was bring to her door.

Twenty minutes later Cyrus was knocking at her door.

"Come in Cyrus."

"What the hell Liv? When did you two get back together and why didn't I know?" Cyrus began his tirade as soon as she opened the door.

"First, take a deep breath and calm down. Your face is all flush."

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I am worried about Fitz. He is going to tank his presidency. What is going on?"

"I'm pregnant and it's Fitz's child."

"So I've heard. When did you start seeing each other again?" Cy questioned.

"We are not seeing each other Cy. It just happened. We are not back together."

"You are not back together, but you are carrying his child. Please explain to me exactly how that happens? Fitz hasn't made any late night trips from the White House and you haven't been to the White House in months, except for . . . "Cyrus stopped short. "You didn't? Not at the reception after the christening? Oh my God you two are worse than a couple of horny teenagers."

"In my defense, I didn't want to go to the reception in the first place. I went because you asked me to, for James' sake. Remember? Also, it wasn't exactly my idea to get "reacquainted" with Fitz at the reception. Fitz . . . never mind. The fact remains that I am pregnant."

"So what is your plan? Do you want him to publically claim this child, do you want child support, or maybe you want him to marry you? What do you want out of this?" Cy asked angrily. "You know if this gets out it will not only end his presidency it will destroy his legacy." He knew he was pouring on the guilt, but he had to find out what her true plans were for handling this pregnancy and what her expectations were of Fitz.

"Screw you Cy. I didn't do this on purpose, it just happened. I JUST found out that I am pregnant. I have barely had time to process that information and here you are basically asking me if either I have some covert plan to trap Fitz into a relationship with me or I'm out to destroy his presidency. I'm not Mellie. I don't produce children for political gain.

Even after all of the hell we have been through this last year, I love him Cy, more than you can know. He broke my heart with his coldness and evil words, but I still love him. I wouldn't do anything to harm his presidency. But it would be wrong to hide his baby from him. He can decide how involved he wants to be with our child, no strings attached. Whatever Fitz wants, that's what I will do."

"You two are going to be the death of me. You know that right?" Cyrus said with a small laugh.

"Does this mean you will let him handle this?"

"Yes, Liv. I will let Fitz handle this. I believe you have his best interest at heart."

"Thanks Cy. Let him know I am ready to speak with him privately whenever he is ready. I have cleared my schedule for the next few days."

"I think I make some time for him to go to Camp David this week. I'll check his schedule and let you know," Cyrus said as he stood up to leave.

"Okay."

"Take care Liv." Cyrus patted her on the arm and headed out the door.

On his drive home, Cyrus replays his conversations with both Fitz and Liv in his mind. It is clear these two are in love with each other, despite their current falling out. Maybe it was the thought of their child growing inside of Olivia that made him decide not to impede any progress these two may make toward reconciling. He would try to preserve Fitz's presidency, but not at the cost of a possible happy ending for these two.

"Fatherhood is making me soft!" Cyrus cried out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was noon on Sunday and Olivia still had not heard from Cyrus about plans for Camp David. Instead of pacing the floors at home, Olivia decides to go to the office to catch up on paperwork from their current case files.

Two hours later, she pushes back from her desk to stretch her legs and to retrieve a bottle of water from the break room. She is walking back to her office when she hears the elevator begin to make it ascent. She knows it is him. She turns and walks halfway down the hallway towards the elevator, awaiting his arrival.

The doors of the first elevator car opens and Tom exits.

"Ms. Pope, I need to make a sweep of the offices," he says.

"Of course Tom," she says, stepping aside.

After he completes his sweep he alerts the other agents that all is clear for POTUS to ascend. He takes his station by the open elevator. The second elevator arrives and Fitz emerges looking tired. His eyes meet Olivia's and he smiles briefly. He walks towards her, some of his signature swagger returning. She is like a breath of fresh air to his soul.

"Hi," he says. She can hear the tiredness in his voice.

"Hi."

"Come to Camp David with me. Let's talk this out once and for all. Please." He is not sure if she will agree to go away to such an isolated place with him.

All she can do is nod her head. She turns and goes into her office to retrieve her purse and phone. As she walks back towards him in the hall, he extends his hand to her. She hesitates for a moment and then takes his hand. As their hands touch, they both inwardly they sigh.

They know this is the beginning of rebuilding their relationship. This is the start of something new.

A/N: So here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it. For all of you that were mad at me for making Liv run, I hope this makes up for it.

Please keep sending me your comments. It makes me happy to know that you are enjoying my story.

I don't own Scandal or the characters of Scandal. I just love playing with them in my backyard.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Peace Talks at Camp David

"_Hi," he says. She can hear the tiredness in his voice._

"_Hi."_

"_Come to Camp David with me. Let's talk this out once and for all. Please." He is not sure if she will agree to go away to such an isolated place with him._

_All she can do is nod her head. She turns and goes into her office to retrieve her purse and phone. As she walks back towards him in the hall, he extends his hand to her. She hesitates for a moment and then takes his hand. As their hands touch, they both inwardly they sigh._

_They know this is the beginning of rebuilding their relationship. This is the start of something new._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After a brief stop at Olivia's apartment so she could pack, they are on their way to Camp David. Neither speak as the limo whisks them away to the Presidential retreat. They hold hands briefly and exchange shy smiles, but they avoid talking, both afraid that the confines of the limo will not be able to contain the anger and hurt they know will emerge once they begin this long overdue conversation.

As she watches the landscape roll by, Olivia rubs her stomach subconsciously. Fitz watches her for a few moments and then joins his hand to hers.

"Do you want a boy or a girl?" he asks moving a little closer to her.

"I haven't really thought about it," she turns to face him as she answers. "Either would be fine as long as it is healthy."

"I want a little girl with your eyes and smile." He moves his hand from her stomach and caresses her cheek.

She pulls away slightly. Confusion and then anger clouds Fitz's face. He drops his hand and moves away from her. She knows that he thinks she is rejecting him.

"Fitz," she says reaching for his hand, "it's not a good idea to romanticize this trip to Camp David. We can't be distracted by our desire for one another. If we are going to move forward, we have to clear the air. We can't do that if we are sleeping together."

He knows she's right, but it doesn't lessen the sting of her pulling away. It seems she is always pulling away from him. He nods once in agreement and then turns to look out the window. They ride in silence the rest of the way.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

An hour later, they pull into the circular drive at Camp David. Fitz exits the limo and rushes to Olivia's side to assist her out of the car. He leads her into the main lodge.

"Are you hungry?" he asks.

"Not really, just tired. I would like to lay down for a little while. Which cabin am I in?"

He doesn't respond. She notices that the Secret Service agents are carrying her luggage along with Fitz's down the hall towards the master bedroom.

"I can't stay here with you," she says. She starts to pace around the room. "Maybe coming here alone with you was a mistake."

"Livvie, please calm down. I just want to be close to you. I know we have a lot to talk about, but it seems foolish to have you two miles down the road in a cabin when there is plenty of space here. We don't have to share a bed. You can have the master bedroom here on the main floor and I will take one of the guest rooms upstairs. I promise to give you all the space you need."

"Fitz . . . " she pleads.

"Damnit Olivia! Enough! I won't cross the threshold of your room okay! Why did you even agree to come here if you are going to keep pushing me away! Do you even want to work things out?"

She is slightly stunned by his anger. "What I want," she says tersely, "is to take a nap." She storms down the hall to the master bedroom. As she enters the room, she passes the agent who brought in their luggage.

"Excuse me, please move the President's things to one of the rooms upstairs. He will not be staying in this room."

"Yes ma'am," the agents says as he retrieves Fitz's luggage and exits the room.

Olivia closes and locks the door behind him. Too tired to undress, she walks over to the bed, kicks off her shoes and lays down fully clothed. Within moments she is fast asleep.

At the sound of Olivia locking the bedroom door, Fitz lets out an exasperated sigh. He directs the agent to take his luggage upstairs to the Blue Room and then dismisses him for the evening.

Feeling restless, Fitz pours himself a scotch and decides to go out on the deck. He sips his drink slowly while pacing back and forth. Finally, he sits down on one of the Adirondack chairs, stretching out his long legs. He is bone tired. He is scared that she will not come back to him. It's his own fault. He pushed her away and he did so by playing into her fears of just being his mistress. Why did he ever say those things to her? Why did he let his anger fester to this point? He quietly sobs and prays that he can win her back. He can't live without her.

He cries and prays until the sun dips below the horizon. He knows Olivia will not come out of her room tonight, so he retreats to his own room. As he drifts off to sleep he prays once again for her forgiveness.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Olivia wakes the next morning to the wonderful smells of bacon and cinnamon. She does a long leisurely stretch before she gets out of bed. Retrieving her toiletry bag from her luggage, she pads to the en suite bathroom to shower and change.

As she emerges from the steamy bathroom in her robe there is a knock at her door.

"Livvie, are you awake?" Fitz calls out.

"Just a minute," she says as she tightens the belt to her robe. She walks over unlocks and opens the door. Her heart skips a beat when she sees him. He is dressed in dark blue pajama pants and a fitted Navy t-shirt. Why must he be so sexy, even in pajamas?

"I made breakfast. I figured you would be hungry since you didn't eat dinner last night. Will you join me?"

"Of course. Give me a minute to get dressed."

He hesitates briefly, it takes all of his self-control not to pick her up, toss her on the bed and make passionate love to her all day. Instead, he turns and walks back down the hallway. He smiles when he hears the bedroom door close, but she doesn't engage the lock. That's progress he thinks to himself.

She joins him in the kitchen a few minutes later. She is dressed in black yoga pants and a light pink t-shirt. Her hair hangs in loose curls around make-up free face. She is the most beautiful sight Fitz has ever seen.

Her mouth salivates as she eyes the breakfast feast that Fitz has prepared. The table is covered with dishes filled with bacon, French toast, scrambled eggs, fruit salad, and yogurt. A pitcher of fresh squeezed orange juice and a carafe of coffee are also on the table.

"Are you plan on feeding an army?" she asks.

"Well you are eating for two."

"Yeah, two not twenty-two. Who is going to eat all of this?"

"I made extra for the Brian and Joe, the Secret Service agents, they deserve a hearty breakfast," he says with a laugh. "I thought it would be nice if we ate in the sunroom."

They pile food on their plates and carry them out to the sunroom. They eat in silence for a few moments.

"I'm sorry about yesterday," she says. "I was tired and not in the best of moods."

"I know this is hard on you Livvie, it's hard on me too, but if we are going to work through this you can't shut me out."

"Funny, isn't that what you have been doing to me for almost a year?" she replies snidely as she pushes her plate away. She gets up from the table and walks back to the kitchen for another glass of orange juice.

"I guess we aren't going to ease into this conversation," he says as he follows her into the kitchen.

The two agents are eating at the table when Olivia and Fitz enter obviously on the verge of an argument, they prepare to leave but Fitz stops them.

"Enjoy your breakfast guys, we will take this to another room," Fitz tells them as he grabs Olivia's hand and leads her through the house to the library. He closes the door softly behind them.

She walks over and sits down on couch. "Did you ever really love me?" she asks quietly.

"Again with this question? Why don't you believe I love you?" Fitz's voice was laced with anger.

"Because you walked away from me. You said horrible things to me. You called me your _mistress_ and then you walked away!"

"Livvie I was hurt and angry. Finding out about Defiance devastated me."

"It was devastating for me too! I felt guilty every day hiding it from you."

"Then why did you do it?!" he yells.

"And there's the million dollar question! The one you should have asked me ten months ago instead of calling me your mistress and walking away! Instead of dragging me into a closet to violate me the first time we are in the same room together! If you had, maybe we wouldn't be in this mess right now!"

"Oh so this is my fault? I'm supposed to just forget that the one person I thought I could completely trust in this world didn't believe I could win the election on my own merits so she conspires to steal the election and hides it from me! I'm supposed to just act like nothing happened!"

"No, but you don't have to act like a petulant child who didn't get his way. Instead of talking to me about it you shut me out in the cruelest way. You used my fears against me. I would have NEVER done that to you! And you are wrong, I did believe in you. I DO believe in you!

You finally asked me why I did it. It wasn't for any other reason than my love for you. I never considered participating in the scheme until your father died. I saw how small he made you feel. I saw how his nasty words made you doubt yourself. The day of his funeral when you told me you wanted to be President, it was the first time that I really felt like you were doing this for you and not for your father or Mellie or Cyrus. I was afraid that if you lost the election, your father's last words to you would always haunt you. That it would break you! I couldn't let that happen. I loved you too much to see you broken by the words of a mean and hateful man. So I gave in and agreed to the plan the day before the election. You were never supposed to find out."

"Oh and that makes everything alright?! You would have lied to me forever if I Verna had not confessed on her deathbed. I am used to Cyrus and Mellie lying to me, but I expected more from you Liv! We were supposed to be a team!" His face is red with anger.

"Some team, you humiliated and abandoned me when I made a mistake! Do you see why I don't think you love me! You didn't ask me why I agreed with the plan, you just left! You let your hurt and anger destroy us!" She begins to cry.

He knows she is right. He let his anger, fear and drinking destroy the one relationship he needed and wanted the most. He gave up on her because he thought she had given up on him.

He goes and kneels before her. Looking into her tear filled eyes his heart breaks. He never meant to hurt her this way.

"Livvie, I am so sorry," he chokes out as tears fall from his eyes. "I never meant this to happen. I lost my way. Please forgive me. I don't want to be angry anymore. I don't want to hurt you anymore." He reaches out and wipes the tears from her cheeks. "Please say you will forgive me. I realize now that my life is nothing without you. I am nothing without you. Forgive me. I need you Livvie. I. LOVE. YOU. Let's start over right now, right here."

She stares into his blue eyes. She sees all the love and sorrow that his heart holds. She hears his declaration of love and she wants to forgive him and start over, but she is afraid. Afraid that they will never be out of the shadow of Defiance. Afraid she will always be his mistress.

He can read the conflict on her face. She wants to say yes, but he knows her fears. He has to convince her that she was _never_ his mistress, but always the love of his life. That outside of his children, including the one growing in her womb, she is the most important person in his life and he would do anything to prove his undying love for her.

"Livvie are you going to say anything?"

"I can't do this again, Fitz," she whispers sadly shaking her head. She moves away from him and walks towards the door. "I have my child to think about now. I forgive you and hope you can forgive me too, but there can be no more us."

"Livvie, no! We can make this work. Just give me another chance."

"Make it work! How? You are married, you have children and you are the President of the United States. How will we make it work?"

"I honestly don't know right now. All I know is that you are running away from me again. If you stop running, we can figure out a way to make this work," he says as he walks towards her. When he reaches her, he puts his hands on either side of her waist and pulls her into him.

"We belong together. We have a sweet baby on the way. Say you'll try. Say you love me enough to put your fears aside and try again. Please Livvie."

She cups his face in her hands. Feeling his tears cascade over her fingers. Her mind is telling her to _RUN!_ But her heart is begging her to _STAY_ and _FIGHT_ for the man she loves. She is conflicted. She needs time to think.

"I just need a little time Fitz. Time to figure out what is best for me and my baby. Can you give me that?" she asks.

"I can do that Livvie. But there are two things you should know. One, I am not going anywhere. No matter how long it takes, I will wait for you. And two, this," he says rubbing her stomach, "is OUR baby. Twice now you have referred to it as your baby. Make no mistake. Whatever you decide about us, I will be a part of this baby's life." He kisses her forehead and then leaves the room.

Olivia walks over to the window and leans against the frame and starts to rub her still flat stomach.

"What should we do little one?" she asks the baby.

Just like its mother, the baby doesn't have an answer to that question.

A/N: So was this the showdown you were wishing for? I hope I did it justice. I hate that on the show Olivia never really got a chance to explain the reason why she agreed to election rigging. Even though they talked in her hospital room, she didn't tell him it was because of Big Jerry death and Fitz finally wanting to be President more for himself than to please others. (At least that was my interpretation of the story.)

That's the beauty of FF. You can make the characters do anything you want them to. So what choice do you think Olivia will make? I'm not sure what I want her to do at this point. Lots of emotions and don't forget Mellie and Cyrus are still in the picture. Also, how long is Fitz prepared to wait for Olivia before he finally gives up?

Please keep sending me your comments. It makes me happy to know that you are enjoying my story.

I don't own Scandal, but if I did it would be all Olitz all the time!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Rocks and Ripples

Fitz is at a loss. He wants to go to Olivia and force her to make a decision, but he know that if he pushes her she will elect to leave him and he can't even fathom that outcome. So he tries to be patient and wait for her to come out of the library. He goes to his room and puts on jeans and a white fitted t-shirt. He resumes the position he had on the porch the night before only this time he is sipping iced tea instead of scotch.

He takes a moment to enjoy the peaceful surroundings. He smiles as he watches squirrels race up a nearby tree. He relishes in the feel of the sun on his face. He lets his mind wander. He imagines Olivia with her swollen belly walking hand and hand with him through the grounds. They are happy and relaxed and completely in love. His fantasy jumps ahead a little and he can see his children, all three of them, running around the yard chasing bubbles and laughing. He can see the family he so desperately needs and he is terrified that it will never happen. He is unaware of the tears that fall from his eyes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Olivia paces around the library for an hour, trying to make a decision. She wants desperately to run to Fitz and say yes, I want to be with you and yes we can make this work. But, she doesn't see how they can be together without imploding his Presidency and without her looking like a home wrecker in the media. Should she follow her heart and throw caution to the wind or should she be the good girl and walk away, even though this will break both of their hearts?

Suddenly she feels like the room is closing in on her. She needs to get out and get some air. She hears the shower running upstairs, so she quickly exits the library, careful to close the door behind her; goes to her room and trades her yoga pants for a pair of jeans and puts on her socks and running shoes. She quietly leaves her room, heads down the hallway to the kitchen where she grabs a bottle of water and an apple. She exits the house through the patio and heads down the path that leads to the pond.

She sits along the pond bank on a weather worn rock. She throws stones into the water and watches the ripples. She imagines each rock is represents one of the possible decisions she could make.

She tosses a rock, representing her decision to stay with Fitz, into the pond.

_**Plunk! **_

Each ripple represents what will happen, in order, once the news got out about them:

Ripple #1 – Grant children are devastated by their father's betrayal. His relationship with them in severely damaged, who knows for how long.

Ripple #2 – Presidency is destroyed. Who wants a philandering President? He's impeached? His legacy ruined?

Ripple #3 – The shit storm Mellie will unleash. Takes his children, his money. Uses everything she has in her arsenal to ruin him (and Olivia).

Ripple #4 – Her reputation and the reputation of OPA ruined. She will probably have to leave D.C. in order to get any peace from the media.

Ripple #5 – Her child carries the stigma of being President's bastard child.

Olivia tosses another rock, representing Fitz being a part of their child's life without a relationship with her:

_**Plunk! **_

Ripple #1 – Again, the Grant children are devastated by their father's betrayal. His relationship with them in severely damaged, who knows for how long.

Ripple #2 – Again, his Presidency is destroyed. Who wants a philandering President? He's impeached? His legacy ruined?

Ripple #3 Again, her child carries the stigma of being President's bastard child.

Ripple #4 – Again, the shit storm Mellie will unleash. Takes his children, his money. Uses everything she has in her arsenal to ruin him (and Olivia).

She tosses another rock, representing her decision to leave Fitz altogether, into the pond:

_**Plunk! **_

Ripple #1 – He's sad and alone. Does he return to drinking? Likely does not seek another term as President. But current term unmarked by their affair. His legacy stays intact.

Ripple #2 – She's sad and alone and a single mother.

Ripple #3 – Her child grows up without a father.

There are no easy answers. Someone is going to lose in this situation. The questions she has to answer are: Does she want Fitz? Will they really fight for their relationship? Can she live with herself if he gives everything up for her and their child?

Can she make a decision for her own happiness that will destroy so many people? Can she really be selfish to only think of herself and her child? She pulls her knees up to her chin and crosses her arms across them. Burying her head in her arms she begins to cry.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Fitz starts to worry about Olivia. It's 3pm and she hasn't left the library. He wants to give her all the space she needs, but nothing is going to get solved if they don't talk. Besides, she needs to eat something. If not for her, for their baby.

He goes to the kitchen and prepares a plate of fruit and cheese for her. Grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge, he heads to the library with her lunch.

"Olivia?" he says as he knocks. She doesn't answer, so he knocks again. "Olivia, can I come in? I brought you something to eat."

Still no response. He is begins to get angry again. It's one thing to need time to think, it's another to shut him out. He knocks again, a little more forcefully, "Olivia!"

"Excuse me sir," Brian says, "Ms. Pope is not in there."

"What? Where is she?" Fitz demands.

"She is down by the pond sir."

"How long has she been down there?"

"She left the premises shortly after you went upstairs this morning sir. We were conducting our perimeter sweep when Joe noticed her leaving by the patio door. He followed her, at a discreet distance. She has been there ever since sir."

"Thank you Brian," Fitz says as he puts the fruit plate and water on the hall table and heads out to find Olivia.

She feels his presence before she hears his footsteps on the well-worn path. She can tell by his walk that he is angry, likely because she left the house without telling him. He reaches the clearing and stops when he sees her sitting at the edge of the pond on a large rock. She looks so small sitting there with the weight of their world on her shoulders.

He walks a little closer then stops, putting his hands in his pockets. "Are you okay? Brian says you have been out here for a while."

"I'm fine. I just needed some air."

"You should have let me know you were going out."

"I don't answer to you Fitz, I am a grown woman," she said testily.

"I am worried about your safety. You shouldn't be out here alone. If you didn't want me to know, you could have at least told Joe or Brian," he answered angrily.

She stood up, dusts the dirt from her pants and turns to face him, "I think my safety is more than covered considering that there are at least two dozen camouflaged Marines patrolling the property, there is a 15 mile no fly zone radius over this place and Joe has never been more than 10 yards behind me since I left the house."

"Livvie, I didn't come here to argue," he says exasperatedly. "I was worried that you haven't eaten since breakfast and it is after 3pm now. You are eating for two now, remember?"

"I remember," she said with a sad smile. "I brought an apple with me. Like I said, I just needed some air and space to think."

Neither spoke for a moment. They both knew that this was the moment that would change their lives forever. She drops her gaze from his. His heart sinks. She isn't going to try again. She is going to leave him.

"Fine. Enjoy your air," he replies coldly and turns and walks away.

She is floored by his response. "Stop walking," she calls out to him but he doesn't stop. "STOP WALKING!"

He stops, turns and looks at her. The pain is etched on his face. A million questions are in his eyes: Do you still love me? Will you fight for me? Will you fight for us? Are you going to leave me? What will I do without you?

Olivia throws her hands up and says, "I can't go on this way. You push I run, I push you run. Why are we doing this? Why can't you just let me go? Everyone would be happier if you just let me go!"

"Why does everyone else get to be happy but us? When do we get what we want?!" he asks.

"Men in your position are rarely happy. It is something that you have to accept."

"What if I don't want to accept it? What if I don't want this position anymore? What if I just want to be happy with you and our baby?"

She walks towards him stopping about three feet away, "Unfortunately, you don't get to make that decision. You are the President, you can't just stop being the President because you are unhappy."

He closes the gap between them but doesn't touch her, "Says who? Just because it hasn't been done doesn't mean it can't be done. I love you, I want to be with you. I want to be there for our child."

"You took an oath. You can't just walk away."

He sighs and runs his hand through his hair. "Do you love me Olivia? Do you want me?"

She doesn't answer him instead she turns and looks back out across the water.

"Livvie, please answer me. Do you love me? Do you want me?" He is fairly pleading with her.

"I do love you and want you," she quietly answers. "But … "

"NO! No buts. You admit that you love me and that you want me. Now are you willing to fight for me? Are you willing to fight for us? Because I am willing to fight for our happiness."

He's forcing her hand. He is making her choose her "rock" right here, right now. Stay and fight or run away?

"I don't know how to be happy," she confesses tears brimming in her eyes. "Happiness always seems to elude me."

He puts his hands around her waist and pulls her flush against his body. He can feel her relax a little in his arms.

"I used to feel the same way, until I met you." He turns her around so that she is facing him. "We can find happiness together. It won't be easy, but I am ready to finally be happy. Are you? Are you ready to be happy Liv?"

She looks up into his crystal blue eyes and all she can see is his love for her. The tightness she has felt in her heart finally begins to release. She can do this. They can do this. She WANTS to do this.

She pulls his head down and begins to kiss him with quick pecks. He closes his eyes and pulls her closer trying to deepen their kiss. She continues to peck at his lips, murmuring between each kiss.

"I want to be happy," she says softly. Her declaration gets louder with each peck until Fitz finally hears what she is saying.

"Then let's be happy Livvie," he says before he kisses her deeply. It is a kiss filled with all the love they have for one another. It bonds them together in this campaign to be happy.

They tenderly kiss and hold each other for several minutes. Tears flow from both of their eyes. When they break apart, she places her head on his chest and listens to his heartbeat. It beats in sync with hers.

After a few moments Fitz says, "Let's head back to the lodge. We could both use some lunch and we have a lot to discuss."

She only nods and steps away from his embrace. He holds out his hand for her to grasp. Before she does, she bends down and picks up a rock. She turns back to the pond and throws the rock as far and hard as she can.

_**Plunk!**_

She watches the ripples for a moment then turns and takes Fitz's hand and they begin the walk back to the lodge.

A/N: Well the Olitz fight is over! Yay! Now the healing can begin. Expect Mellie and Cyrus to reappear in the next chapter or two.

Please keep sending me your comments. It makes me happy to know that you are enjoying my story.

I don't own Scandal, but if I did it would be all Olitz all the time!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Let's Get Ready to Rumble

Silently they walk back to the lodge. Each caught up in their own thoughts of what just happened between them and what was to come next. Each frightened to say what was really on their minds, _Can we really do this? Can we really be together and weather the storm that will come?_

They enter through the patio door and head directly to the kitchen.

"What would you like for lunch?" Fitz asks.

"It doesn't matter, I am not that hungry," she replies.

"You know you need to eat Livvie," he chastises her.

"Ugh, is it going to be like this the entire pregnancy?"

"What? You ARE eating to two," he says.

"I know, but right now this baby is the size of the head of a pin. I am sure it will not do any permanent damage if I don't sit down and eat right this moment," she snaps.

He knows that her response isn't really about her eating habits for the baby, she is feeling the stress about their decision. He rolls his eyes and begins to rummage in the refrigerator for something to eat.

"How about an omelet?" he offers gently.

"That's fine. Sorry I am being so difficult."

"It's okay Livvie. I know you are worried about what is going to happen. But we are together and no matter what, we will always be together." He walks over to her and pulls her into his arms. "I love you Olivia Carolyn Pope and nothing will ever change that fact."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

She looks up at him and smiles. In that moment she believes everything will work out fine. She can see their future in his beautiful blue eyes. She stands on her tip toes and kisses him tenderly.

"Ok Mr. President," she says as she pushes him gently away, "our baby is hungry and an omelet sounds perfect. What can I do to help?"

"Nothing. You sit right here and watch your man at work."

"Careful sir, you are spoiling me."

"All part of my master plan."

Olivia perches on a stool at the breakfast bar and watches Fitz as he gathers the ingredients for the omelets: butter, eggs, onions, tomatoes, green peppers, cheese and bacon. He moves effortlessly around the kitchen. Chopping, slicing, whisking as if it was part of his every day routine. Soon he is placing a perfectly fluffy omelet before her.

She puts a forkful of omelet in her mouth, "Oh my god Fitz, this is wonderful," she exclaims before she takes another bite.

"Just another one of my superpowers," he says cheekily. She blushes slightly as he turns back to the stove to finish making his omelet.

"Well you should use this one more often."

He sets his plate on the breakfast bar and comes around to sit next to her. He leans in close and says, "But I like using my other superpower on you so much more."

She feels a tingle down her spine and an increased warmth building between her legs as he whispers in her ear.

"Stop, I'm trying to eat," she says with a laugh.

"So am I," he replies.

She gulps down the bite of omelet she has in her mouth. "How about some orange juice?" She hops down from the stool and goes to the refrigerator. The rush of coolness as she opens the door helps tame the heat rising in her face. Fitz chuckles and begins to eat his omelet.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Cyrus has had a long day covering for Fitz at several meetings since he is out of the White House. So he is less than excited when Mellie bursts into his office late that afternoon.

"Where is he?" Mellie asks.

"You'll have to be more specific, where is who?" Cy replies sarcastically.

Taking a deep breath and rolling her eyes Mellie sits down in one the chairs facing Cyrus' desk. "Where is Fitz? He isn't in the Oval or the Residence. I just got back from the Women in Leadership Conference in Dallas and imagine my surprise when I find that my husband is nowhere to be found. When I asked Lauren about his schedule she referred me to you. So Cy, Where. Is. My. Husband?" she asks through clenched teeth.

"Mellie, don't worry about him. He's fine. Don't you have that literacy fundraiser next week? Shouldn't you be focused on that right now?"

"Cyrus, I swear to God if you don't tell me what is going on, I will break every bone in your body!"

He thinks for a moment before he replies. He promised Liv that he would not interfere with her relationship with Fitz and he meant it. However, Cyrus knows that if the pregnancy and the affair reach the light of day, it will be the end of his time in the White House. He is not ready to leave the White House just yet. He reasons that if he sets Mellie on their trail, without any real details, she will be the one to put an end to the fairy tale that Liv and Fitz have dreamt up. Technically, his hands would be clean.

"Earth to Cyrus! Where is Fitz?" she asks impatiently.

"Um, he wanted some time away from the White House. He went up to Camp David last night for some peace and quiet."

"Camp David? When is he coming back?"

"He didn't say. He just needed a few days to work some things out."

"Things, what things?" Mellie asks.

"Ma'am, I don't know. Maybe you should ask him . . . . when they return."

"They, who went with him Cyrus?" Mellie begins to panic.

"Did I say they," he chuckles, "sorry, I meant when he returns." Just then there is a quick knock at his door and his assistant pokes her head inside the office.

"Mr. Beene, your 4:00 meeting is about to start," she says.

"Thank you." He gathers up the files on his desk. "Sorry Madame First Lady, I need to head off to a meeting. I am sure everything is fine with the President. He will be in tip top shape after his respite at Camp David." He walks out of his office with a sly smile on his face. The seed of doubt has been planted. He would not be shocked if Mellie decided to make a surprise visit to Camp David before the end of the day.

After her meeting with Cyrus Mellie returns to the Residence. She has been pacing the floor of her bedroom for an hour. _Why did Fitz go to Camp David without telling her? What is he up to? Is he alone? And if not, who is with him? Should she call him?_

Things had been better since Olivia was no longer in the picture. Sure Fitz drank more and was a little grumpy, but she could deal with that. She was at a loss as to why he would go off to Camp David so suddenly. There was only one way to find out what was going on.

She walks to the door and opens it, Secret Service Agent Hal is right outside the door. "Hal, please get my car ready, I am going to meet the President at Camp David."

"Yes ma'am. Right away," he turns to walk away.

"Oh Hal," she says sweetly, "please tell the agents on site not to advise the President of my arrival. I want it to be a surprise."

"Of course ma'am."

She closes the door and relaxes just a little. It's 5:00 now, in just a little over an hour, she will get to the bottom of this mystery trip to Camp David.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"That was wonderful," Olivia says with a sigh as she rubs her full belly.

"Glad I could oblige." He leans over and kisses her cheek.

"Since you cooked, I will do the dishes," she says as she gathers their plates from the counter.

"I will do the dishes, you go and relax," he says.

"Are you sure?"

"I am sure. Why don't you go take a soak in the tub? It's been a stressful day and I know you can use some time to unwind."

"You are wonderful," she kisses him and heads off to her room to indulge in a much needed soak.

Fitz cleans the kitchen and then retreats to his room to shower and shave. After pulling on jeans and a t-shirt, he notices that is almost 5:00pm and he has not checked his email or voicemail for the day. He quickly goes through both and responds to a few messages. Closing his laptop he heads downstairs to check on Olivia.

As he approaches her bedroom door he notices that it is partially open. He sees her exit the bathroom in only a white silk robe, hair piled high on her head and a bottle of lotion in her hand. She stands in front of the mirror and opens her robe. His eyes roam over her perfect body. Her breasts seem fuller to him. He longs to touch them along with the rest of her body. He watches her run her hand over her still flat stomach as she looks at her reflection in the mirror. He smiles at the thought of their child growing inside of her.

"So are you a peeping tom now?" she asks him as she meets his gaze in the mirror.

"I'm sorry. I was just checking to see if you needed anything. I will let you get dressed," he blushes and turns to walk away.

"Wait, don't go. I was just kidding," she calls after him. She walks over to the door and opens it wider. "Please don't go."

She stands at the threshold with her robe partially open. His eyes take in her beauty, from her silky tresses piled on her head, to her beautiful brown eyes that peer into his soul, to her full lips that are so soft and kissable he could live just on them alone, to the curve of full breasts that he could spend hours kissing and sucking, down to her flat stomach that will soon expand with their growing child, down to the wispy patch of hair at the apex of her legs.

She shudders slightly. The look in his eyes as they travel over her body is filled with a mixture of love and lust. She slowly removes her robe, letting it fall to the floor.

"Make love to me Fitz," she whispers.

He gathers her up in his arms and begins kissing her as he walks into the room, kicking the door behind him in an effort to close it.

He walks over to the bed and lays her down gently. He quickly disrobes and joins her in the bed. Fitz pulls her close and just holds her. They revel in the feel of each other's arms, their bodies pressed close together. Neither thought they would be in this place again.

"I love you Olivia. More than you can ever know," he says huskily.

"I love you too," she replies. "I am not afraid to say it anymore. I love you Fitz, with all of my heart."

He bends his head down to kiss her. It starts off tender and gentle but soon they both deepen the kiss. His tongue seeks entrance into her mouth and she opens to accept it. He loves the feel of her tongue on his. As they continue to kiss, his hands roam up and down her back before one finally comes to rest on her perfectly round ass. He alternates between caressing and squeezing her cheeks.

Her arms snake around his neck and her fingers find their way into his curls. She moans as he continues kneading her ass. She removes her hands from his hair and breaks their kiss. She pushes gently on his chest until he is his laying on his back. She sits up and climbs on top of him to straddles his hips. She removes the bobby pins from her hair and gently shakes it out. Her long curls fall gently around her shoulders and down her back.

"You are so beautiful," he murmurs.

Olivia leans forward and kisses him deeply. He moans as she also grinds her ass on his ever hardening erection. She breaks the kiss and sits up, lifting herself slightly so that his cock is poised just at her wet and throbbing opening. She slides down slowly, taking every inch of his rigid cock inside of her.

"Oh Fitz," she gasps as the final inch of him enters.

"Livvie, you are always so tight, baby. Oh god you feel good."

She stills for a moment, just allowing Fitz to fill her completely. They both moan loudly when her walls tighten and flutter around him.

"You have to move Livvie. Oh Livvie, please move now," he says breathlessly.

Slowly she begins riding him. Up and down she moves her body rolling her hips on the downward move. The feeling is heavenly for the both of them. Their pants and moans fill the room. Fitz lifts his knees slightly and a starts thrusting into her with long hard strokes.

"OH GOD FITZ!" she shouts as this new angle takes her by surprise. He has never been this deep inside of her before.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mellie's SUV stops in front of the main lodge at Camp David. The first thing she notices is that Fitz's primary agent, Brian is standing out on the front porch.

"Brian, where is my husband," Mellie asks as she walks up to him.

"He's inside ma'am. I can get him for you," he turns to enter the house.

"No thank you Brian, I want to surprise him," she says with a cool smile.

Brian knew it is was going to be an interesting night when he saw POTUS going down the hall to Ms. Pope's room. He sent Joe outside to do a perimeter sweep and took up a post on the front porch in order give them some privacy. He had no idea that FLOTUS would show up. This night was going to go from interesting to a raging shit storm in a few seconds if he didn't get in there and alert POTUS.

"Ma'am, I really think I should advise the President that you have arrived," Brian urges, stepping in of her, blocking the front door.

"Brian, please get out of my way. I am going in there without you."

Brian steps aside to allow Mellie to pass. She opens the door and steps into the foyer and closes the door behind her. As she goes deeper into the house she can see that the living room is empty. She is about to call out for Fitz when she hears _"OH GOD FITZ!"_

She immediately heads to the master bedroom. As she approaches the door she sees a white silk robe dropped at the threshold has not allowed the door to close all the way. She takes a deep breath and pushes open the door open.

Her blood boils when she sees Olivia Pope riding her husband like a woman possessed. Olivia's head is thrown back and her eyes are closed. Both of them filling the room with their moans. Fitz pounds into her so hard that he has to keep a death grip on her hips to keep her from bouncing off of him.

Mellie stumbles away from the door without a word. She cannot erase that image from her mind. She makes her way to the living room and immediately heads to the bar. She pours a generous glass of scotch into a heavy crystal tumbler and downs it in two swallows. She pours another drink and downs this one as well.

_She thought they were done. She thought he was over Olivia. When did this happen? How the hell did she not know?_

She is wrestled from her drunken thoughts by the sounds of Fitz and Olivia's coupling coming to a climax. She feels sick as the "Oh Gods" and "Oh baby I'm cumming" increase. She storms back down the hall to the master bedroom. She stands at the threshold seething.

"FITZGERALD WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING HERE IN MY BED WITH YOUR WHORE!" she screams at him. She takes the glass she has in her hands and launches it at them. Her aim is off and the glass crashes into the wall over the nightstand to the left of the bed.

Lost in the height of ecstasy, it takes a moment for Fitz and Olivia to realize what is going on. Fitz immediately rolls over to protect Olivia from any further attack. Realizing that Mellie is out of weapons, he sits up in the bed keeping Olivia safely behind him.

"MELLIE, WHAT THE HELL! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" he yells at her. "GET OUT NOW!"

"I WILL NOT! THIS IS MY HOUSE TOO. YOU GET YOUR WHORE OUT OF HERE!" she screams.

"GET OUT, OR I WILL HAVE SECRET SERVICE THROW YOU OUT!"

"I AM YOUR WIFE. YOU WILL NOT DISRESPECT ME THAT WAY."

"FINE, I WILL THROW YOU OUT MYSELF," Fitz says as he begins to get out of bed.

Olivia pulls him back, "FITZ NO! Don't touch her. It's exactly what she wants," she pleads with him softly. She knows if Mellie pushes him much more he will not be able to contain his fury. She rubs small circles along his back to try and calm him down.

Mellie looks at Olivia and chuckles, "Isn't that sweet. Your whore is trying to protect you."

"You have one more time to call me a whore and you are the one that is going to need protecting," Olivia says icily.

"Bring it on . . . WHORE!" Mellie yells.

"That's it!" Olivia bounces out of the bed and stalks toward Mellie. Fitz intercepts her before she can get to Mellie.

"Let me go Fitz! I need to teach this bitch a lesson!" she tries to pull away from him.

"Olivia you can't fight her."

"Just one good slap across that smug face should fix her. LET ME GO!" she says as she strains against his hold.

"Oh come on Fitz, let her go. I promise not to mess up your whore's pretty little face too much," Mellie taunts.

"Mellie stop," Fitz warns as Olivia continues to strain against him.

"FITZ, LET ME GO!" Olivia screams.

"LIVVIE, THINK ABOUT THE BABY!" Fitz yells.

Suddenly the tension in the room breaks. Olivia stops straining against Fitz's hold. He quickly pulls the sheet off the bed and wraps it around her. He reaches down, picks up his jeans and pulls them on.

Mellie is pale and shaking in the doorway. "Baby? Did you say baby?" she whispers.

"Yes Mellie. Olivia is pregnant with my child."

"You stupid bastard," she screams. She steps to him and slaps him across the face. "I will burn you! I will burn you both!" She turns and stomps down the hallway and out the front door.

"Fitz, you have to stop her. We need to control how this comes out. If she goes to the media first, you will never get re-elected and your legacy will be ruined."

"Liv, don't worry about that now."

"We have too. I know you want to run again and I want that for you. Please for me, stop her."

Fitz picks up the bedside phone and calls down to the guardhouse.

"Sargent Royce here."

"Sargent Royce, this is President Grant. The First Lady is trying to exit the grounds. I want her detained and taken to one of the nearby cabins and held there until further notice. Please confiscate her cell phone and any other electronic devices she may have and remove the phone from the cabin. She is to have no contact with anyone outside of this compound. No one, not even her Secret Service agents should speak to her without my verbal consent."

"Yes sir."

"Sargent Royce, I expect her to put up a bit of a fight. But please remember she is the First Lady, but do not let her off the grounds. Understood?"

"Yes sir Mr. President."

Fitz hangs up the phone and looks at Olivia. She looks so small wrapped up in the bed sheet. He kneels before her and takes her hands in his. Her hands are cold but her eyes are burning with anger.

"Well, I guess we need to figure out pretty fast how we are going to handle this," he says.

"I guess so. God I need a giant glass of wine right now!" she groans.

"No alcohol for you my dear. How about a giant glass of orange juice instead?"

"It's not the same, but ok," she says with a smile. "I'll meet you in the kitchen after I get some clothes on."

"Were you really going to fight Mellie?" he asks as he stood up.

"If you had let me go I would have slapped the shit out of her. She has called my out of my name one too many times."

"That's my Champ. I could almost hear that famous boxing ring announcer saying "Let get ready to rumble" as you jumped out of the bed. I always knew you were a fighter, but I never thought you were one to get physical. I have to admit, it kind of turned me on a little."

"You are such a pervert. Go get me that orange juice before I turn these fists of fury on you," she said with a smile.

"Ok Champ, don't hurt me. I'm going right now," he says with a laugh as he throws his hands up in the air and backs slowly out of the room.

She goes to her bag and pulls out panties, jeans and a t-shirt. After slipping everything on, she meets Fitz in the kitchen. He is sitting at the table with two glasses of orange juice and a plate of cheese and crackers.

"I figured you could use a little snack after your match," he says.

"You are a very funny man. You do realize you are putting your manly bits in danger every time you make fun of me."

"Ouch! Ok, no more jokes."

She takes a sip of her orange juice and sighs. "So what are we going to do?"

"I don't know. Maybe we should give Mellie some time to calm down and then we could speak to her rationally. She has to know that our marriage is over. That her time as First Lady is over."

"She knows it, but she doesn't want to accept it. We have to come up with a plan that will make her happy to walk away. We have to figure out what she wants more than being First Lady and make it happen."

"Or we could let her out us to the press and just go and live our lives in peace," he says.

"No, I won't let that happen. You are a great President Fitz and you deserve a second term. I won't let Mellie rob you of that. I would walk away first before I let that happen."

"ABSOLUTELY NOT! You will not walk away from me now or ever. If I can't have you and our baby and still be President, then I won't be President. But I'll be damned if I have to live without you anymore. Do I make myself clear?" His normally clear blue eyes are now dark gray with anger.

"Crystal clear sir," she says and leans over to kiss him.

"Good. Now, let's put our heads together and come up with a plan to keep that crazy bitch from blowing up my political career and getting her out of our lives for good."

A/N: Hello fellow Gladiators and FF writers and readers. I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter. It took me a while to get it out because I wasn't sure how I wanted Mellie to find out about Liv and Fitz.

How about Liv ready to fight Mellie while naked! I laughed the whole time I wrote that scene.

Please keep sending me your comments and suggestions. It makes me happy to know that you are enjoying my story. Also, if you haven't checked it out, I have another story, the Summer She Grew Up. I will be updating that one in the next day or two.

Only four more days to the Scandal season finale. I am having withdrawals already!

I don't own Scandal, but if I did it would be all Olitz all the time!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Preparing for Battle**

Mellie paces back and forth in the tiny living room like a caged animal the evening's events replaying over and over in her mind like a movie. She can clearly see herself walking in on Fitz and Olivia, and the subsequent argument that almost lead to a physical fight with Olivia, the awful revelation that Olivia is pregnant with Fitz's child and to add to her humiliation, being locked up in this cabin, detained like a criminal. Over and over this horror show plays in her head.

She catches a glimpse of herself in the living room mirror. Her hair has come loose from the fancy French Twist she originally had it in and her make-up is smeared. Her face is pale and her eyes look huge and wild.

"Get a hold of yourself Mellie," she tells herself. "You need to get control and think."

Taking a couple of deep breaths, she begins to calm down. Standing in front of the mirror she fixes her hair. Then she grabs a couple of tissues from her purse and removes the smudged eyeliner from her face. She wanders to the kitchen and finds a half bottle of vodka in one of the cabinets. She pours a hefty amount in a glass and carries both glass and bottle back to the living room. Flopping down on the couch, she kicks off her heels and props her feet up on the cocktail table. She drinks deeply from her glass and lays her head back on the cushion, letting the warmth of the vodka creep through her body.

As a liquor induced calm takes over, her mind begins working on the problem at hand. The first thing she needs to do is get access to a phone. And she knows just where to get one.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Come on Fitz, you can't mean that," Olivia says tiredly. "If you divorce Mellie, the public will crucify you." They had been discussing options for handling their situation and Fitz kept returning to the idea of divorcing Mellie as soon as possible.

"Half the marriages in this country end in divorce. So why does it make a difference if I get divorced?"

"Because the American people hold their leaders to a higher standard. If the President gets divorced it sets a bad image for the country."

"Oh, so the general public can be hypocrites, divorcing each other left and right, but I can't get divorced and marry the woman that I love without the villagers storming the gates of the White House with torches and pitchforks looking for my head on a stake."

"Sad but true."

"This is utterly ridiculous. I am NOT staying married to that woman," he huffs.

She knows she shouldn't say it, but it comes out before she can stop herself, "I still think the best option at this point is for me to go away, have the baby and wait for you to finish out your term. Then you can quietly divorce Mellie and we can be together."

He stares at her, his normally sparkling blue eyes now a stone gray, "I swear to God if you mention leaving me one more time I will call Kimberly Mitchell and give her an exclusive that will propel her career off the charts. I will go on live network television and confess to the world that I am in love with you and desperately want to marry you and how ecstatic I am that you are carrying my child. I will then tell Kimberly my plan to divorce Mellie and retain my position as President. If I have to, I will expose every dirty secret I have on Mellie. All on live television."

"You wouldn't do that. You would be ruined," she says quietly. But the look on his face tells her otherwise. She can tell he has reached his breaking point. He will not back down. He is determined to be with her and make them a family. Part of her rejoices at his desire to be a family and part of her is totally terrified. What happens if they go down this path and it's a disaster?

He walks to her and takes her hands in his, "I would do it if it would stop you from leaving me."

He sighs and drops her hands and walks slowly across the room. "Livvie, my entire life has been what everyone else wanted for me. Everything was planned out to get me to the White House. From the sports I played, what clubs I joined, what schools I went to, when to go into the military, when and where to start my political path, who I married and when we had children and how many. Hell, until Big Gerry died I didn't even really want to be President. I am tired of living my life for everyone else. When do I get to live for me? When do I get to have the life that I want, with the woman I love? I am 50 years old and I have never really had control over my own life. Well now it's my time to take over the reins of my life. It's time for me to be in control for once. **Fuck the presidency, fuck public opinion. I want what I want and I am not waiting for it anymore!**" His face is flush and his breathing is labored.

"Are you finished with your temper tantrum?" she replies calmly.

"Liv, come on. Aren't you tired of this game? Don't you want to stop hiding and just be us out in the open? I want the world to know that you are carrying my child. I want to be there for all the doctor visits and Lamaze classes. I want to be in the delivery room when our child enters this world. I want to share all of those moments with you out in the open for the world to see."

She can see the frustration on his face. She walks over to him and wraps her arms around his waist and lays her head on his chest. His arms automatically encircle her body. Just from her touch he begins to calm down. They stand embracing until their hearts beat in sync.

"Fitz . . . "

"Shh, Livvie. No more talking about this tonight. We will figure things out in the morning. Let's just go to bed."

"What about Mellie? Are you just going to leave her locked up tonight?"

"Yeah, we all need some time to cool down. I'll get one of her agents to take her some food and let her know we will speak in the morning."

He breaks their embrace and walks over to the house phone and places a call to the agents' cabin. He gives instructions to the agent on duty to have someone from Mellie's detail to take her some food and to advise her that they will meet in the morning at 9:30.

While Fitz is making the call, Olivia wanders into the kitchen in search of something to eat. Fitz enters the kitchen and finds her at the stove frying bacon. He walks up behind her and places a kiss on the side of her neck.

"Would you like a BLT?"

"You're cooking?"

She raises an eyebrow and scowls at him. "Just because I haven't done it doesn't mean I don't know how to mister. Besides, its bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo and toast you would have to be an idiot to mess that up."

"I would love a BLT. Can I help?"

"No, just sit there and look pretty," she says winking at him.

He sits on the stool at the breakfast bar and watches her assemble the sandwiches. He didn't realize he was so hungry until she places the double decker sandwich in front of him. He waits to eat until she has made her sandwich and sits on the stool next to him. They eat in silence for several minutes, both lost in their own thoughts regarding the day's events.

"This is really good Livvie."

"Thanks, the key to a good BLT is getting the bacon crispy."

He can't help but smile at her as he watches her devour her sandwich. She lets out a little moan with every bite. When he notices a little mayo on the corner of her mouth, he reaches over and thumbs it off. He gently caresses her cheek and she turns her head to face him.

"It's going to be alright Livvie," he says reassuringly. "We are going to survive this and we are going to be together."

She desperately wants to believe him. She wants to live the future with him that she has only been able to imagine until this point. But somewhere deep in her heart, she feels it will never happen. That she will be left alone to raise their baby. She gives him a half smile before returning to her sandwich. They continue eating in silence.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hal is a little more than apprehensive as he approaches Mellie's cabin. He has been tasked with delivering her food tray for the evening. He takes a deep breath before he knocks at the door.

"Hal, just the man I wanted to see," Mellie says in her sweetest voice as she opens the door.

"Um, the President asked me to tell you that he wants to meet with you in the morning at 9:30. Also, I brought you something to eat ma'am." He thrusts the tray towards her.

"Could you please put it on the table over there?" She points to a table directly opposite of the door.

Hal doesn't want to enter the cabin. He can tell by her sweet tone that something is way off. He can tell she has been drinking, but that is not what is disturbing him, she is too calm and a calm Mellie spells trouble.

"Yes ma'am." He quickly crosses the room to the table and puts the tray down. When he turns to leave, Mellie is standing in front of the now closed door.

"Hal, may I use your phone? I seem to have misplaced mine."

"I'm sorry ma'am, I can't do that," he responds not looking her in the eye. "President's orders."

Anger flashes across her face for a brief moment. She catches herself before she unleashes her wrath on Hal. She needs him on her side.

"Oh, I see. Well maybe you can make a call for me then."

"Ma'am, I don't think that is a good idea. I should be going." He tries to brush past her. She places a well-manicured hand on his chest to stop him.

"Hal, _**please**_ help me," she pleads. "Do you think it is right that I am locked up here? I'm the First Lady of the United States and my husband has me held prisoner in this cabin with no access to the outside world. And all the while he is screwing his whore of a mistress in the main house. Please help me." She pulled out all the stops, even producing a few tears.

Hal couldn't figure out who scared him more, the President or the First Lady. After a few moments he looks at her and says, "Who would you like me to call ma'am."

"Cyrus Beene. Tell him how my husband is keeping me hostage here and tell him to get up here right away."

"Yes ma'am. I'll contact Mr. Beene right away. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No that will be all Hal." She steps aside from the door to allow him to leave. "And Hal, thank you. I truly appreciate your help. I won't forget it."

"You're welcome ma'am," he closes the door behind him. He pulls out his phone and scrolls through the contacts until he finds Cyrus' number.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" SSA Brian asks as he steps out of the shadows.

"Do what?"

"Come on Hal, don't play dumb with me. I know that FLOTUS asked you to make a call for her. Are you sure you want to do that?"

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"Hey, it's your career man, not mine. Once POTUS finds out what you did, you can kiss your job goodbye."

"How can you justify covering for him? He's cheating on his wife, right in front of her! He treats her like shit and she doesn't deserve it. She is practically a prisoner here."

"Hal if I didn't know better I would think you had a thing for Mrs. Grant. You better watch yourself. She is way out of your league man. She will use you and cast your broken and bloodied body aside when you have outworn your usefulness."

"She is my responsibility. I am obligated to make sure she is safe. In my estimation, she is not safe. Now if you will excuse me, I need to make a call." Hal walks off towards the agents' cabin.

After Hal was out of sight, Brian take out his phone and makes a call. "She has made contact with Mr. Beene. He will be here in the morning."

"Thank you Brian. Go get some sleep. I will see you in the morning." Fitz hangs up the phone and looks at Olivia. "She reached out to Cyrus through Hal, just like we thought. He will be here in the morning."

"If nothing else, Mellie is predictable. Well, we might as well go to bed and get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a hard day."

"I'm all for going to bed, but not for sleeping. If I remember correctly, we were in the middle of some pretty hot sexy time when we were so rudely interrupted. I say we go and finish what we started." He flashes her is best panty dropping grin.

"Are you serious? You want to have sex now after all that has happened tonight?"

He peers at her curious as to her response, "Yes Livvie, I do. Mellie has ruined my life long enough." He crosses the room and stands in front of her, taking her hands in his.

"Fitz, it isn't about Mellie and the drama that she brings. I would love nothing more than to take you in that room and make love to you all night. But right now, I'm just emotionally and physically drained. All I want to do right now is curl up in your arms and go to sleep."

"Ok Livvie, I understand. Let's go to bed." He leads her down the hall to the bedroom. They shed their clothes and get into their pajamas. Sliding under the covers they meet in the middle of the bed and cuddle. Olivia falls asleep in minutes. Fitz lays there awake, holding Olivia determined never to let her go. No matter what the cost.

A/N: Hello Gladiators. I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter. Just a heads up, I am not sure how soon will be able to update. I am in the midst of a cross country move with 3 school age children (yay me!). But rest assured I will update the story as soon as I can. I have already written most of the final chapter, now I just have to fill in all the other stuff to get us there.

I LOVE your comments. Keep them coming. They make me happy.

I don't own Scandal, but if I did it would be all Olitz all the time!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: True Confession**

It is still dark outside when Olivia wakes up, the need to pee her top priority. She untangles herself from Fitz's arms and pads to the bathroom. Closing the door softly behind her, she clicks on the light and heads to the toilet to relieve her overfilled bladder. After flushing the toilet, she stands at the sink washing her hands. She glances at her reflection in the mirror. Other than a serious case of bed head, she doesn't look any different than the day before. The truth of the matter is deep down she doesn't feel any different than the day before, despite her declaration of love to Fitz. That worries her more than a little because she always assumed that when/if they finally declared their love for one another and their conviction to face the world head on as a couple that she would look and feel relieved. That she would finally look like a woman in love. Look and feel like a woman who was loved, no adored, by an incredible man. Yet, staring at herself in the mirror, she only sees the previous version of Olivia Pope. The one who is afraid to let anyone in. The one who runs when anyone gets too close.

Doubts begin to flood her mind. Suddenly the bathroom is too hot, the walls feel like they are closing in and it becomes hard to breathe. As she closes her eyes, she grips the countertop and focuses on taking deep breathes to calm her wildly beating heart. Her mind is screaming for her to leave. Leave to save his presidency, leave to save his reputation, leave to save her. . . .

"Stop thinking about leaving me," the sound of his voice startles her. She turns to see him standing in the doorway. She was so lost in her thoughts of running, she hadn't heard him enter the room.

"Don't do this Livvie. Don't overthink it. Running will not make me stop loving you or wanting to be with you. Hell, it won't stop me from finding you and dragging you back from whatever part of this world you would decide to run to. I refuse to live another moment without you." He walks over to her and embraces her from behind.

"Look at me," he says to her reflection in the mirror. She slowly raises her eyes and looks directly into his.

"I love you. I want, no I need, to be with you. I am not afraid to love you Olivia. I am not afraid to face the world and tell anyone and everyone who will listen that you are the love of my life. I am willing to fight for us, to the death if need be."

He turns her around in his arms so that she is facing him. She stares at his chest, unable to look him in the eye. He gently cups her chin and raises it so she is forced to meet his gaze.

"Are you willing to fight for us Olivia? Is our love as important and vital to you as it is to me? I can't do this by myself. Tell me right now, once and for all, are you all in?" His crystal blue eyes search her face eagerly for an answer.

A hundred scenarios run through Olivia's mind. She can't form the words that Fitz needs to hear and that she needs to say. Tears form in her eyes and slip gently down her face.

"Why do you do this? Why do you always find ways and reasons for us not to be together?" He drops her chin and walks back in the bedroom and sits on the side of the bed.

She stands in the doorway and looks at him. His normally perfectly coifed curly hair stands wild on his head and his face is covered in a thin layer of stubble. Any other day he would exude sex and virility with these features, however his body language tells another story. His shoulders slump forward as he holds his head in his hands. Pain, anguish and disappointment flash across his face and take up residence in his eyes. He looks broken. He looks defeated.

She goes to him, as she drops to her knees in front of him, she takes his hands in hers so that he is forced to look at her.

"Fitz, I am so . . . "

"NO! Don't start with the whole I'm so sorry routine Olivia." He pushes up from the bed and brushes passed her. He begins pacing back and forth at the foot of the bed. "Just admit that you don't want to be with me and let's just end things here. I can't keep putting my heart out there time and time again only for you to stomp on it when YOU decide that somehow things are getting too hard. So just save it. It's obvious that you are not willing to fight hard for us."

"That's not fair," she says. "You don't know how much it hurts me to feel this way. You don't know what I am going through or what I have been through to make me feel this way." Her voice cracks with emotion.

"That's the problem Livvie. You won't let me in. You told me once to let people see me for who I was. That you got to see me because I let you in. You haven't done the same for me. Hell, it was easier for me to get in your pants than it has been for me to get into your head and heart."

His words stung her to the core, but they were true. Physically she could give her all to Fitz. She loved the way he made her body feel and how she could make him feel. But there was always a wall between them, even in those most intimate of moments.

He lets out a frustrated sigh, "I can understand you wanting to keep most of the world at a safe distance in order to protect yourself, but you won't let _**anyone**_ in. Not even me, the man that you claim you love. You know everything about me. All of my sins and errors, my hopes and dreams. In all the time I have known and loved you, I can't say the same. Why Livvie? Why won't you let me in?" His eyes plead with her to answer him.

She knows that if she doesn't answer him truthfully and fully at this point, they will truly be over. He is at the end of his rope and if she runs this time, he won't chase her. He will let her go and try to move on with his life, putting her and what they could have been behind him. Except it won't be a clean break because of the baby. They will be doomed to being in each other's lives but only on the fringes. That would be more devastating than a complete breakup.

They stand five feet apart, staring at one another. As the seconds tick by and she still has not answered his question, Fitz reaches his breaking point.

"Fuck it. Go live your life Olivia. Be happy or unhappy, I don't care anymore. It's obvious that you don't love me as much as I love you. Just know that nothing you can do will keep me from seeing my child." He turns to walk away from her.

"My parents never loved me. Even as a little girl, I knew they didn't love me. My mom used me as a weapon against father." Her voice was lifeless and devoid of emotion, almost robotic.

He stares at her, but he doesn't speak. Afraid that he is interrupts her she will never reveal her deepest hurt and pain to him. If that is the case, they will never be able to move passed this point.

She walks over to the window and peers outside, watching the dawn break. She keeps her back to him as she continues.

"My parents met in law school and started dating their sophomore year. She was possessive and jealous. He couldn't take it, so he threatened to leave if she didn't stop. Apparently she deliberately got pregnant with me to force my dad to marry her. He resented her for that, but because he was on the radar for some major law firms, he knew he had to marry her to keep up appearances.

My arrival didn't make things any easier in their relationship. If anything it made it harder. Money was scarce enough for two, but three put a strain on them. My dad starting staying out late with "friends" several nights a week. Meanwhile, my mom sat at home with me, seething with rage and jealousy. I remember one time when I was five or six years old, my mom told me that I had ruined her life and marriage. It was my fault that dad stayed away. She locked me in my room for what seemed like hours. When she finally let me out I apologized for being a bad girl and promised to do better so that dad would stay and love mom and me.

So whenever dad was home, I tried to be the perfect child. I stayed quiet, I ate all of my food without complaint, and I went to bed without being told. But it never seemed to be enough to make him stay. No matter what I did, he always left us. Soon mom started drinking. Every night she would down a bottle of vodka and tell me how I ruined her life and that no one would ever want or love me. That I didn't deserve it because little girls who ruined their mommies' lives didn't deserve to be loved by anyone."

Fitz stands there in silence, his heart breaking for Livvie. He can picture little Livvie in his mind. Big, sad brown eyes, pigtails and knobby knees. He can see the pain and confusion on her little face as she tries to comprehend what she did wrong. What can she do to make her daddy love her and her mommy again? He knows all too well the damage a caustic tongued parent can cause. He had Big Gerry for a father. But Fitz also had his mother. She tempered the nastiness Fitz received from Big Gerry with her generosity and love. For every time Big Gerry would tell Fitz he was a failure and a disappointment, his mother showed him in a thousand ways that she loved him and that she was proud of him. Poor Livvie had no one.

She continues quietly, "One day when I was 10, my dad came home from work and immediately they started to argue. I was in my room, but even from there it didn't take me long to figure out that he was leaving us. He was in love with someone else and she was having his baby."

Olivia retreated into her memories . . . .

"_It's no use Maya, I am leaving. Tracey and I are in love and we are going to have a family. I can't do this with you anymore. I never loved you. I only stayed because you basically blackmailed me," Eli confesses._

"_You selfish bastard," Maya slurs, "I have given up the best years of my life for you to raise your daughter and this is the thanks I get. Pushing me aside for some young thing you found at work. I won't let that happen. I will march right down to that hoity-toity firm of yours and tell anyone who will listen that you are a useless husband and father and a fucking cheater!"_

"_It's no use Maya, your threats don't work anymore. I don't care what you do or where you go. Just stay the fuck away from me."_

"_What about Olivia? You just going to forget all about your baby girl? Just going to walk away from your responsibility to her?"_

"_I'm not walking away from anything Maya. We both know that Olivia isn't my child. I found out a couple of months ago when she needed a checkup for summer camp. I noticed on the registration forms that our blood types don't match. I don't know whose bastard child she is, but she is not mine!"_

_Olivia comes out of her room and watches as her "dad" walks to the front door._

"_Dad?" she whispers softly. Her voice full of hurt and confusion._

_He turns and looks at her as if she were a dirty street urchin daring to beg him for money._

"_I hope Maya doesn't screw you up too bad Olivia. If I were you, I'd go find your real father and hope that he can take you in. Good bye."_

_With that Eli walks out of the door and out of their lives._

"When dad left that day and never came back, my mom went crazy. She went around the house breaking everything she could get her hands on. Screaming that she would make him pay for his betrayal. She berated me for hours that this was my fault. She even went so far to tell me that she should have aborted me when she had the chance."

At this point, Fitz can no longer stand back and watch Olivia relive these horrible events. He reaches her in three quick strides and pulls her body close to his. She tenses up when he touches her, but then relaxes as he presses kisses against her temple.

"That night, my mom got the drunkest I had ever seen her. She ran out of vodka and decided to go to the store to buy more. I begged her not to go. But she slapped me and told me to get out of her way, that I was no good to her anymore. She ran head on into an 18-wheeler just three miles from the house. She died instantly. Now I had no one. I was 10 years old and all alone. Eli never claimed me as his own. I guess he felt sorry for me since I was all alone, so he sent me off to one of the best boarding schools in Europe and made sure I had all the material things I needed. But he never came to see me and I never went to see him. It wasn't lost on me that he sent me as far away from him and his new family as possible.

The day I graduated, a check for $250,000 was waiting for me in my dorm room along with a letter stating this was a one time "gift" from Eli and that by accepting this money I was never to contact him again. So there I was, eighteen years old, all alone in the world with $250,000 in my pocket.

I spent that first summer traveling all over Europe. By the time fall rolled around I was ready to throw myself headfirst into college. I didn't really have any friends at boarding school and didn't really have any in college until I met Cyrus. He was the first person I connected with in a very long time. He gave me a reason to smile. He made me start to live in the real world. That's the only reason I put up with his shit today."

She had never told anyone about her horrific childhood. As she stood there in Fitz's arms watching the sun rise slowly above the horizon she felt unburdened. The vice like grip that always had a hold of her heart was gone.

Fitz steps away from her and grabs her hand. He leads her to the love seat near the fireplace, where he sits down and then pulls her down on his lap. Instinctively, she curls up in his lap, placing her head in the crook of neck and wrapping her arms around his torso. His strong arms encircle her and pull her as close as humanly possible. When her body starts to shake, he knows that the dam has broken. All of the hurt and pain that she has experienced in her life is flooding out. He holds her close and lets her cry. Her sobs break his heart.

"I am so sorry baby," he murmurs into her hair. Tears flow from his eyes for his Livvie. It all makes sense now. She has been programmed by her vindictive mother to believe that she doesn't deserve to be loved. Her father abandoned her not once but twice. Fitz vows at that moment to spend the rest of his life making sure that she knows that not only is she loved but that she deserves to be loved.

He has no idea how long they have been sitting on the love seat. The morning sun is now shining brightly through the window and Olivia's sobs have long since subsided. Her even pattern of breathing indicates that she has fallen asleep.

A light knock at the door jars Fitz from his thoughts. He stands with Olivia in his arms and carries her over to the bed. He lays her down gently and pulls the covers over her petite frame. After placing a soft kiss on her forehead, he quickly walks over to the door and opens it. SSA Brian is on the other side.

"Sir, Mr. Beene has arrived."

"Thank you Brian. Please tell Cyrus to wait in the library. I will be with him in 30 minutes."

Fitz closes the door and heads to the bathroom to shower and dress. After listening to Olivia this morning there is no way that he can allow a "showdown" with Cyrus and Mellie today. His only thought now is to protect Olivia at all cost. And right now, protecting her means getting both Cyrus and Mellie the hell away from Camp David as soon as possible.

A/N: Hello Gladiators. Was this not the saddest chapter ever? I have to admit I shed a tear or two for little Livvie. But now Fitz knows what holds her back. Now the question is he can help her overcome the heartache of her past? We will just have to see in future chapters.

Thanks for all of the encouragement for this story and for The Summer She Grew Up. I LOVE that so many of you are invested in the development of the characters and that they ring true to the versions of Olivia and Fitz that we all fell in love with in Season 1. I do a little happy dance every time I get a message that someone is following or has favorited (is that a word?) one of my stories.

Thanks too for the well wishes regarding my move. We have begun the final countdown and the boxes are starting to multiply like rabbits. I will probably be on a mini hiatus after this posting. But know that once I get settled in my new home, I will be back to writing about out two favorite lovebirds.

I don't own Scandal, but if I did it would be all Olitz all the time!


End file.
